Nicely Done
by Ms.Marvel21
Summary: Loki has attempted to enslave the whole human race. The Avengers saved the day, and now he must face his punishment. The Council comes up with a rather odd sentence, beginning with an unexpected trip back to Midguard. Follow Loki while he carries out his orders and hopefully everything ends up nicely done.
1. Chapter 1

"You've a good heart. Sometimes that's enough to see you safe wherever you go. But mostly, it's not."- Neil Gaiman

Finally enough sunlight slipped though the small crevice (well, it's supposed to be a window) above me. I could not tell if it was noon yet by the height of the sun. There was no clock here, or analematic sundial to inform me of the time. I was somewhat thankful for that though, because it would be a form of torture to watch every second pass by while I sit here. My eyes may never leave the device, forcing me to watch time slip away as I rot. Though I actually would not rot, I am an immortal. I am too good to rot.

A breathy sigh escaped my throat. For why, it could be a many of things. Mostly my total frustration towards this whole ordeal. Frustration with myself, for my mortal-like stupidity. Nobody's perfect, as the saying goes. Obviously they were not a god.

My hands could not even lower to scratch my hair, which has grown quite long in the time I've been here. I could feel mites infest my curly locks a few weeks ago, and I have not been rid of them since. It is rather a grotesque thought, that I, so full of power and greatness, cannot even bathe anymore. I bet I smelt like a dead pig after slaughter. Peering down at my once alabaster skin, I could only see layers of filth that have accumulated. The sight made me rather sick, so I looked away.

Oh, but what to look at. Rock. Rock everywhere. Sometimes, shadows would be cast off of them, and I would determine what they resembled. Childish, I know, but _you_ try being locked up and see if you stay sane. Yes, locked up. How many days? Ha, that would be the question, now would it not be, huh mortal? My tally marks in the dirt ended around twelve. I have lost track after then.

I shifted my aching back against the rock. The rattle of my chains echoed in the small stone room, which sounded odd to me. I had not heard noise in a long time. I could talk aloud, sure. I could even sing to keep the time passing, but those ended in the first few days of confinement. My mouth would run dry and there were not enough opportunities for water.

My fingers twitched. Oh, only if I had my magic. This would be a room of luxury. This may not even be a room anymore. I could totally destroy this and walk right out the front door, unharmed. Of course the irons clapped to my wrist were not ordinary ones. My magic was bound by them, rendering my powers useless. Maybe if I was strong, I could pull the chains from the wall by force. I would pull the steel door from the hinges in the rock and be free. But, alas, I am not Thor.

I am evil, vile, crazy, little Loki.

I realized my hands were tense in fist, my jaw clenched. I forced myself to breathe out. My toes brushed though the dirt as I dragged my knees into my chest. Slouching against the wall, my arms were still strained against the irons around them. Tilting my head back father, I saw the red ring around my wrist. Ugh. Without my magic abilities, I could not rapidly heal like before. The last thing I wanted was a wound whilst I was bound. Mites and maggots may like my bleeding flesh more than my hair.

Why am I in such of a terrible place, you may ask? I attempted to take over the realm of Midguard. To enslave the entire human race. I know, how evil of me (that was said with an eye roll, just to let you know). I had my reasons for doing so and I have absolutely no desire to tell anyone why. Some things are better left unsaid than spoken aloud. Because we may all know why, but hearing it tends to frighten people. It is true, for I do not lie about this.

In this moment I heard remarkably familiar footsteps of a party strolling down the halls of the dungeon. Were they to bring me water? Maybe a slice of bread? I did not know, but I wished they were bringing food and drink.

The ruckus stopped in front of my door. There were a few low whispers between them. Three? Yes, there were three people outside my door. Someone pressed on the door and the sound of metal on metal rang out. The key. They are going to come inside. Usually it is only the two guards.

Finally there was a click and the door swung wide open. If I could rub my eyes, I would do so repeatedly. His long red cape reached the dirt floor and his hair certainly has gotten longer. "Brother, what do you want with me?" I muttered as the guards began to undo the irons around my wrist. "I do not even get a hello?" Thor asked. I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Hello." I was not in the mood for short pleasantry talk. "Now what is your purpose with me?" I repeated. My hands were freed and the chains hit against the wall. Slowly I rubbed my wrist with my hand. I could see the blood pooling from beneath my skin. Most of it was rubbed raw. Did I struggle that much? The horrid nightmares may have been to blame for this.

"I have come to escort you to The Council." I raise my eye brows and looked up at him. I allowed us to make eye contact. "The Council?" I questioned. That was rather odd. Maybe it was called something else. Thor can be quite forgetful. "Yes, brother. I forget you have not been informed." Of course I have not been informed, you idiot! I am in prison! I was tempted to say that, but I held back. "Explain then." I said.

Thor swallowed hard. "The Council is made up of five gods to decide your punishment. Forseti, Gerd, Var, Snotra, and Fitch." Oh lovely. What a wonderful group of extremely forgiving immortals (once again,'tis scarcasm, mortal). "Wonderful." I mumbled. My wrists were yanked in two different directions. I let out a grunt. Grabbing an open wound is not exactly comfortable. The guards forced new irons on my arms, this time they had a chain connecting them. There was one like it already on my feet, right around my ankles.

Thor's friendly attitude and my attitude towards him was odd. You may have noticed we do not hate each other. We both agreed that when the time for my...punishment has come, that it could easily be death. The last words spoken to me should not be hateful, or so Thor says. But for these few moments, we put everything aside and painfully pretended that everything was going to be alright. Even though we both knew this was not so.

I felt two hands grip the side of my face tightly. Shaking my head only made it worse. The other guard was standing in front of me with a device in his hands. "Not the muzzle!" I whined. I attempted to stand up but it was hard because I could not push off with my hands. Squirming around helped my little. The muzzle neared my face and attached to my jaw and mouth. It felt like someone had glued my mouth closed.

"That was not necessary!" Thor shouted at the guards. You're a little late for that, big guy. "Odin's orders, sir." One replied. "I was looking forward to talking to you, Loki." Thor said. He sounded sincere. _I can still talk to you, dim wit_. Thor jumped back in his spot. A smile appeared and he waged a finger at me. "I forget you read minds!" He exclaimed. Of course he would. He approached me and stuck his dinner plate sized hands out in front of me. Well, he's "family" after all. I extended my arms as far as I could. His hands wrapped around mine easily and with a small pull I was on my feet.

Those giant arms enveloped around me, pulling me into a hug. My arms squished straight against my sides, pressing in on my rib cage. I could not physically wrap my chained hands around him, so I patted his chest ungainly. _Air! I cannot breathe, you oaf!_ Thor released me from his deathly grip. "Sorry little Loki!" He jeered. Lifting his hand, he ruffled my long hair, messing it up on the top. Thor has done that since we were kids. I felt happy for just a moment. But not a moment more.

"Look what they have done to you!" He said. Lifting my wrist up, he pulled the irons back to see the open sores on my wrist. "Why do you not heal yourself brother?" He asked, looking up at me with a frown. _I cannot. These are magic binding chains._ Thor nodded solemnly and turned to the guards. "Release him!" Thor demanded. The guards looked back at him in surprise. "We cannot release a prisoner!" One said. " . !" Thor growled in the guards face. "I'll get the key." He replied, not missing a beat. Underneath my muzzle I smiled. It was times like these in which Thor was more bearable. In my feat of victory, I stretched my wrist out. Quickly the guard removed the chains.

Closing my eyes, I allowed the magic to surge though my body again. _Much better _I said to Thor, to which he smiled. Looking down, I summoned magic to heal myself. A faint green mist surrounded my wrist and the skin rapidly closed up. As soon as I was free, I was contained again. The chains were forced back on my quickly so I would not pull anything. _Thank you, brother, for that was irritating me so. _The guards walked in front of Thor and me, leading us though the corridors of the dungeon. "It did look rather painful." Thor commented. "I wish they do not inflict a terrible punishment upon you." His voice became softer. _Oh, please. If I can take beating after beating from thee on the practice field, then I am prepared for anything they may throw at me. _Thor smiled weakly. "I hope you are right." I nodded. I hoped I was right too.

We ascended some stairs before we reached a large wooden door. The guards pushed it open and light came flooding down the corridor. As it were instinct, I raised my hands to cover my eyes. I had not seen this much light in a very long time. The amount that came though the "window" in my room was not nearly enough. "Are you alright?" Thor asked. I nodded and lowered my hands. _Is it me, or did the sun get brighter while I was locked away?_ Thor laughed at my joke. "Tis just only you." He mused. _How long have I been away?_ "Three months and two days." He replied instantly. He knew it down to the exact day? I felt a little touched as we walked though the hallway filled with windows. _So, brother. Tell me more about this Council._

Thor merely shrugged. "Sorry, but I was only told they were to decided your fate." I let out a sigh (well, the best I could with this muzzle on).

The guards walked us though another hallway and to a large set of french doors. Each of them grabbed a handle and pulled them open. I am sure Thor here could have pushed though them effortlessly, but he did not attempt to help them. I had to blink a few more times to adjust to the light outside. Three months. I thought it had been a little bit longer than that. Thor grabbed a hold of my shoulder and led me outside. Horses were there. They must have rode in from the palace to the prison. Lifting both of my hands, I stroked the mane of the black one. Thor untied the reigns and then proceeded to mount the horse. With a smile, he extended his hand to me. _Ha, no way._ Then I did a quick count. Three. There were only three horses. I glared back up at Thor as he began to laugh. "Come on! We're close!" He said. _My feet are chained, you idiot. And so are my hands. How am I supposed to mount a horse and hold on? _

"Guards, he's ankles are chained together." One of the guards nodded and slipped off his horse. Sticking the key in the lock, he gave it a nice turn and the irons fell to the ground. He gathered them in his hands and then remounted. I wiggled my hand chains in the air. "No, brother, they have to bind your magic somehow." Thor said. "Come!" He patted the spot in front of him on the saddle. "I'll hold on to you." My shoulders sunk and my head tipped back to the sky. Gods, why me?

I sighed and approached the horse. Thor removed his foot from the stirrup so I could mount. My hands reached up for the horn of the saddle and I pulled myself up. Effortlessly I swung my leg over to the other side and sat upright. Thor placed his arms around me and grabbed the reins. This saddle was not big enough for the two of us. I was closer to my brother than I would like to tell you. "Cozy?" Thor asked, resting his head on my shoulder. Slowly my head turned towards his, my eyes glaring harshly at him. Laughing, he withdrew his head. "Let's go, little brother." Thor said. The four of us started off down the dirt path.

I wished we would make it to cobblestone or brick paved roads soon. The dirt road was full of holes and bumps, causing me to jolt and move around. The horses were around galloping pace too, which only made this worse. I winced as we hit a large bump. "Sorry." Thor apologized_. Leather. I am not wearing leather. I am in linen._ As a prisoner, I was not allowed to wear my full regalia of metal and leather. I simply had on a green shirt with brown linen pants. And linen is not the material you wear when you go riding. Quickly I was beginning to understand why. Thor laughed at me. _Brother, I would smack you if I could reach._ This only made Thor's deep laugh louder. Quickly, I tipped my head back. He let out a grunt and dropped a hand from the reins. "You hit my nose!" Thor said. He could not hear me laugh, but he could see my shoulders move up and down like I was. "Oh, be quiet." He demanded.

After galloping along the dirt path, we reached one paved with stones. This was a little better, but I was not going to feel good when I dismounted. On the top of this hill, I could see pillars. How come I had never been this way before? _Where are we, Thor?_ I felt him shift. "Glitnir." He said. _Glitnir? As in The Court? _"Yes." He replied. Great, now I was beginning to feel nervous. The Court was made of pillars of pure gold. The ceiling was cast in silver, the rest of the building comprised of marble and obsidian. It was the ruling and justice hall of the gods. I did not expect this.

A guard dismounted and unlocked the large gate. We rode though and he locked it up behind us. Nearing the building made me fidget. I wish I would not have asked Thor where we are. Get a hold of myself is what I needed to do. I am Loki for Valhalla's sake! I almost got away with ruling Earth. This trial was nothing to me. Thor must have sensed my uneasiness. "Loki, do not worry, for I shall protect you." His confidence in his words did not assure me though. _Thanks, brother. I know I have done wrong, but I truly deserve the punishment I receive. _

Placing my foot in the stirrup, I dismounted the horse. Once my feet hit the ground I moaned (or tried to). I ran my hands down the inside of my legs. Oh how I ached. "Saddle sore?" Thor asked. I nodded vigorously. He chuckled and gave me a pat on the lower part of my back. "It cannot be that bad." He joked. I struggled to stand up straight. _You forget your own strength, you idiot._ Thor smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I do forget."

Thor's attention turned to something else. I looked at him quizzically and followed his line of sight. My stomach lurched and I instantly looked away. Frigga and Odin. I would say mother and father, but they are not anymore. To be truthful, this probably was all Odin's idea. I did not ask though, I was almost certain I was right.

Thor went over to his parents, hugging his mother. I could hear them talking, but I could not make out what either one was saying. The guard was clasping the irons around my ankles again, locking it in place. "We are all ready to go." The guard told me. I gave a short nod and walked between the two of them. Each grabbed my elbow and we walked towards the entrance of Glitnir. "Brother! Brother, wait!" Thor called out. The guards stopped and release their grip on me. Thor ran quickly over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "Good luck, Loki." He said, and I nodded. "I love you, brother." He whispered as he pulled me into another big hug. I closed my eyes tightly and held on to his scarcely spoken phrase. _And I love you._

Thor released me and stepped back. Odin and Frigga had walked up the hill to where we were. Frigga smiled at me, and opened up her arms to me. I evaded her gaze. I have been hugged too much today already. Whipping around, I turned my back to them and allowed the guards to take a hold of me again. "Loki." She whispered to me. I nodded forward to tell the guards to walk. "Loki." A louder voice boomed. Odin. I did not hesitate to continue walking. "Loki, look at me!" He shouted. There was no way I was going to turn around now. The large doors to the great hall opened up and our small party stepped inside. This was it, and I was ready.


	2. Chapter 2

"Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently."-Maya Angelou

Glitnir was dimmer than I thought it would be inside. The small torches that lit the hall up reflected off of the golden pillars and silver ceiling. The marble floor had small obsidian diamond tiles between them. I had never been to this place before. I never had a reason to before now. I was tugged along down the winding hallway. I took a quick peek up at the ceiling. In it, I saw my reflection for the first time in three months. My first reaction was to cringe. The somewhat long black hair I entered prison with was now down to my jawline. It lay in matted on my shoulders and back. I was going to have to cut it off. And my lovely pale face was not pale anymore. Dirt and dust had covered it from a lack of bathing. The only thing recognizable was my green eyes. I looked away from my reflection and stared forward.  
"Stay here." The guards told me. Shrugging, I did as I was told. Now if these cuffs were off it would be a different story…I stood before two large doors. I had not the slightest idea to what they lead to, but whatever it was, was not going to be good. A Council of the gods. I had not heard of such things happening before. All of this fuss over me? How kind of them.

Suddenly the large doors opened before me and the guards returned. The muzzle was removed from my mouth and jaw. I sucked in the cool air though my mouth. "Much better." I muttered for the sake of talking. It felt good to move my mouth again. The cuffs on my wrist and ankles were not messed with. There was a gentle shove from behind and I stumbled forward into the room. It was circular. That was unexpected. I walked towards the center of the mostly marble room, taking everything in. It was like a small coliseum with seating all around the room. In the middle of all of this was a flat area with five chairs. One for each of the gods. The arena was full of people, which surprised me too. The chattering died down as soon as I stepped inside. In the center of the floor I saw a platform. Stepping up onto it, I scanned the crowd. Not once did I advert my gaze or lower my head. I was not ashamed of myself, even if what I did was terrible.

The small door behind the chairs opened and the first god of the council emerged. Gerd, the goddess of Midguard. Of course she would be here; I tried to take over her realm. She would not be a forgiving one, now would she? Her long blue dress dragged on the ground as she took her seat. Next to come through the door and into the hall was Fitch, the god of ruling and arbitration. He would probably act as the neutral in this trial. I felt his eyes burn though me as he took his seat. Maybe he would not be the neutral one after all. Then there was Var. I have never seen her before, but her beauty was outstanding. Gracefully she sat next to Fitch. Oh, what the cast were have here. Snotra entered with a wave. How pleasant, I didn't expect her here. She's the goddes of self-control. Who needs that anyways? Plus, what a drab cloak she had on. I do not believe I have seen her in any bright colors before.

Last but not least, was Forseti. He was a rather stout little man with blonde hair like Thor's, except he had a beard as well. I was surprised he was not graying yet, he's been around forever. Then again, we are just a bunch of close immortals here, right? His face did not show any signs of anger like the others did. Maybe he was my hope in all of this. Forseti made eye contact with me and I bent over a little. A bow of respect. Out of all of them, he was the one I would respect the most. He was the god of justice and reconciliation. I was counting on a small sliver of mercy. That and a bit of luck.  
The people in the arena rose when he entered inside. After sitting down, everyone did so. Except for me. I was the only one, standing in the middle of loads of scorning glares and angry faces. I get those a lot. I spied Thor, Frigga, and Odin sitting near the panel of gods. Thor looked nervous, Frigga upset, and Odin angry. I did not expect anything less. "Let us begin." He shouted, his voice echoing nicely though the hall. Everyone became silent. "Thank you, Odin." Forseti began. "We are here to try Loki, God of mischief and lies, for his wrong doing in the realm of Midguard. Loki, would you explain to the panel you crime." His tone was neither angry nor spiteful, and this put me at a temporary ease.

I cleared my voice before I announced my wrongdoing to a room full of people. I was going to have to say it loud. "I attempted to enslave the human race in addition to taking over and ruling all of Midguard." I was tempted to say something witty, but I have already caused enough trouble. There were no gasps, no hateful noises from the crowd. Only silence. "You ruined New York, one of Midguard's finest establishments!" Gerd exclaimed. "What do you have to say about it?" I'm sorry. I almost said it too, sarcastically. This was requiring a lot of restraint. "I would have succeeded, if not for the Avengers." I said. I did not know if this was the right answer or not, but it was an answer. Thor was shaking his head, so I assumed it was either the wrong one, or funny. "You arrogant pig!" Gerd shouted. Okay, wrong answer. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way." I said. She looked like she was going to fall out of her chair. "Somebody put the muzzle on that man!" She rose from her chair and was pointing at me. "Gerd, please, sit." Forseti said. She gave me a glare before sitting back down.

"Your lack of self control is discerning, Loki." Snotra spoke. She did not rise from her spot as Gerd had done. "Yes, it is a tribulation for me." A small smile crept on her face. "As it is for many." I nodded at her statement. "So when the opportune moment appeared, you could not help but take it, correct?" Snorta asked. I shook my head yes but did not look up. "That and a combination of things." I replied. There was a rising murmur that Forseti tried to calm. "Well, boy, if there were more reasons, then say so!" Fitch yelled over the chatty crowd. I swallowed again. "Many people forget about the power the Tesseract." I began. "He's going to fill our ears with lies!" Gerd exclaimed. "Why do we not punish him yet for his crimes against Midguard and the terrible disgrace he brings upon his family!" Oh, ouch. Because I totally have a family. "Gerd, sit." Forseti commanded. Slowly she lowered into her chair. "As I was saying," I continued, looking at her specifically. "The power of the cube is immense. There are parts of my travels that I cannot recall, as hard as I may try. They are like fuzzy blurs that have evaded my mind. In other words, the Tesseract is also to blame for my insane behavor." The arena erupted in noise. People stood from their seats yelling at me, others shaking their heads disapprovingly. I created chaos. I love chaos.

"Please, silence!" Foresti shouted over the crowd. Things settled down as people stopped shouting and sat down in their seats again. "This is an interesting accusation, boy." Fitch said once the room was silent. "You blame power for your destruction of Midguard." I raised a finger in the air. "Part of the reason, yes. And I only damaged it, I did not destroy it." I reminded the Council. "Damage is destruction to me, Loki." Gerd commented. Fitch looked down from his seat to Gerd. "They are not the same things!" He exclaimed. Snotra nodded. "They are very similar though. Damage could be destruction." Fitch shook his head. "No, no it is not!" Forseti interjected. "They are separate to me." I said. "See, they are differnet!" Fitch said to Gerd. "He's the god of lies, you cannot trust him!" She retorted. "Why can we not get along!?" Var exclaimed. This was the first time we had heard anything from her since the beginning of this trial. "We are a council, for Valhalla's sake, let's act like one!" The goddess of agreement would be angry at us all though. Figures.

"Loki," She said, turning back towards me. "I believe you." A few more murmurs spread before they dissipated." I bowed my head in appreciation. "There is still more, my fair lady." I told her. "Continue." She asked of me, sitting back down. "I was coursed into taking over Midguard by forces beyond what we know. Forces beyond the Chitauri." I left it at that. That was almost all I knew. Almost.

The panel looked somewhat concerned and intrigued. "Greater forces?" Var asked. I gave a nod. "Yes. That is correct." There was a pause of pure silence before she spoke again. "What forces?" She asked. Ah, the question everyone has been asking inside their head. "I do not know." I said at last. Gerd crossed her legs and sighed. Fitch shook his head and looked at Var suspiciously. "How do you not know?" Gerd questioned. "You were working for someone that you did not even know?" Oh, no, that's not just what I said at all! "The Other, the Chitauri's leader, has a master for which they carry work out for. I do not know this master, so therefore, I did not really know my employer." Gerd shook her head disapprovingly. "How naive can you be? You led an army into the realm I protect and you don't even know who they really work for!"

"Gerd." Forseti said. "Sit." Crossing her arms, she plopped into her chair. "How else was I suppose to take over Midguard?" I asked her. She sighed. "You were not permitted to take over it in the first place, fool!" I stepped off the podium and walked towards the panel. "Have you ever done anything wrong in the hopes to make things right?" I posed the question. This really shut them up. "Boy, whatever do you mean?" Fitch asked. "Yes, explain yourself, Loki." Var added. "Why do we not-" Forseti raised a hand. "Gerd." He shouted. She sunk back down in her chair. "Loki, continue."

"If the one you loved fell deathly ill, and the only way to heal them would be to steal the medication, what would you do?" I asked to the panel and the crowd. "What if an evil man threatened your family if you did not follow his orders, as bad as they may be, what would you do then, people?" There was utter silence in the whole arena. "If saving your family meant taking your own life, would you do it? Even though taking one's life is wrong, per se?" I looked around at the faces of the people watching me. "Would you kill someone to protect yourself and your family?" I paced around the large circular floor as I carried on. "And, what if someone would inflict the greatest pain upon your beloved if you did not agree to fight with them? What would you do then?" I shouted. Still, no one would answer my questions. My eyes shifted up to Thor. "Would you do what's wrong to make the life of others right?" I could feel something inside the room change, even though I could not tell you what it was. Mutual understanding now? I do not know. "I think my point has been made here." I said, standing back upon the podium. "So please, great panel of judges, do what you wish with me."

No one said anything at all. The gods looked down at me with a different demeanor, and it was then that I could not help but smirk. "Fitch?" Forseti asked. He rubbed his chin and pondered what he wanted to do. "100 years in prison." He replied. I cringed at his reply. A hundred years was not being extremely generous, but it was not the worst. My palms became sweaty and I rubbed them anxiously on my linen pants. "Var." Forseti asked next. I could see her hesitate before she spoke. She was torn between two issues. "Imprisonment. For how long, I do not know." Okay, prison was not too bad. I let out a sigh of relief. I knew things were going to become much worse whatever the decision may be. "Snorta." The god of justice asked. "Prison is not going to teach him self-control." I have a bad feeling about this one. The goddess of self-control was not going to be easy on me. "We should take advantage of Loki's shape shifting abilities. As a horse, he could provide lots of service to Asguard. Doing work for 50 years should be good enough. That should whip him into shape." Oh, very funny goddess. Horse whips were not cruel, but it would be for me, for I had an idea for who I would be forced to work for. And Odin was not very forgiving of his second son. The corner of my eye caught some movement as Thor leapt from his seat in protest. Odin quickly pushed him back into his seat."Gerd?" Okay, this one I expected something dramatic from. The corners of her mouth turned upwards in an awful smile. "Execution. This man deserved to die from his careless actions that he has not only exhibited once before, but twice now. He is the source of our problems. I do not know why we do not kill him now."

"Then do it!" I shouted aloud. "Kill me then! For what does this lowly soul have to live for? I have no family! I have no home like you! I have no place where I belong!" Gerd looked slightly taken aback. "I have nowhere where I belong. So go ahead, kill me. You would make life much easier for me." Forseti stood up from his seat and the other gods followed suit. "The panel will now decide Loki's punishment." He walked around his chair and back though the small door. The others followed behind him. The door closed and the talking rose back up again. I was tired of their scornful faces. My head remained tilted forwards and down. I examined my feet and the hem of my pants, but I was not going to look up. I did not want to see my "family's" faces. I did not want to see any of it. Over the din I heard my name bellowed out. It was Thor. I still would not raise my head. _I am sorry, brother._ And I was. I had not been sorry in a long time. Actually, I was pretty sure that sorry was not in my vocabulary.

There was suddenly silence and I assumed the panel had entered the coliseum again. Slowly I raised my head up to look at them. Each one was seated and looking back at me, all their faces neutral. The doors on the floor opened up and two men entered. My head tilted to the side, wondering what his was. One of them was carrying a large scroll of parchment and the other had a small object in their hands. They stopped in front of the podium. "Loki, by law you must agree to your punishment." A knife. That's what the small object was. I knew what to do. I took it from the man and dragged the sharpened blade across the center of my hand. The parchment was blank, but the ink probably appeared after my blood touched the paper. A common spell used on these. Sighing, I pressed my palm on the top of the document. A stinging sensation traveled up my arm and the words on the parchment began to appear. I could not remove my hand, for the man kept it on the paper. My eyes widened as the words showed up red. My blood was the ink for this document. I read the words on it as they appeared. My jaw dropped open, leaving my mouth slightly ajar. Could this sentence possibly be correct? I looked up to the panel in shock.

"Loki, you are to be exiled to Midguard."


	3. Chapter 3

"Be good and you will be lonesome."-Mark Twain

The coliseum was in an uproar. "Exile! I say we kill the god!" "He will just take over Midguard again!" "Toss him in prison!" "What sort of sentence is this?!" Apparently, I was wanted dead still. "Silence!" Forseti called out over the crowd. "For The Council has made their decision! Loki will go to Midguard, and there he will carry out good deeds, a minimum on one per day. He will reconcile for the destruction of New York by living in Midguard. You shall leave tomorrow, Loki, and you must take nothing with you." This seemed just as cruel as the horse punishment to me. I had to be nice? Nice to the human race? That was one of the last things that I would ever want to do. "As for your magic, you must use as little as possible. If you use too much, it will be bound. There is one more rule." Forseti said. "You can have one Confidant. He or she may know everything about you and your purpose on Midguard. But only one mortal must know." I gave a solemn nod. Gerd looked rather upset about this compromise between the gods, but I could see how they did it. Snorta got her self-control wish, the other two created some sort of imprisonment, but Gerd did not get her execution wish. Whether I was glad or not was unknown to me. "Will I be exiled forever?" I asked. "No, you will not." Forseti replied. This gave me a little more hope in returning here again. "When am I aloud back?" I wondered. "When you must come back is when you do not want to leave." Great, I'll be there forever! I had already signed the contract in my own blood. There was no turning back now.

There was still many talking whilst I stood in the center of it all. The two men grabbed my elbows and turned me around on the podium. As I was dragged out of the arena, the people began to leave too. I was led back though the hallway we had entered, all the gold and silver somehow looking dimmer than before. When we reached the large doors leading outside, the muzzle was shoved back onto my face. I did not struggle this time; I gave up. The doors opened up from outside with a pull from Thor. "Brother-" I held up my hands as to surrender. I did not want to discuss this right now. His shoulders sunk and he sighed. "Come, brother, let us go home." I had to bite my tongue (metaphorically) from telling him I was going back to prison. Nonetheless, I nodded and waited until the guards unlocked my ankle irons. Quickly I mounted the horse and we took off back to the prison.

"Rise and shine!" Someone shouted at me. A blast of coldness hit my face and I scrambled on the ground. Water soaked though my shirt and pants and then reached the dirt floor. "What was that for?" I spat. Like today was going to be a good day anyways. I just did not expect it to start out so…wet. "Baths here." He said. Looking around the small room I saw a wooden bucket a little bigger than a normal sized one. Full of more cold water, I did not doubt. Then the idea of being clean made me smile. Finally, I could get these blasted mites out of my hair. "How am I to bathe when my hands are chained together?" I asked the guard as he was unlocking the shackled on my feet. "Good luck." Was all he had to say. After another set of irons were on my wrist, I was released from the irons on the wall. With some help from the guard, I was back upon my feet. "What about my um, clothes?" I asked. "I'll cut your shirt off, and your new clothes are by the bucket." He pulled a knife from his pocket. I stood deathly still as he ripped a tear down the middle of it. The guard then cut down the seam of the sleeves. There was no easier way for him to take it off. The ankle cuffs were removed, but they did not bind magic anyway. He could not risk a prisoner of my value to escape, so the ones on my wrist remained. How thoughtful of him.

"I think you can do the rest." He said before exiting. "Oh gods." I muttered. I began to tug at the tie of my pants (and for you mortals who have never seen Asguardian pants (though I bet you would love to,huh?), they lace. We do not have zippers in this realm.) After I tugged everything off, which was a hardship in itself, I stepped into the rather small bucket of water. It was not as cold as I thought it would be. I reached my hands down into the bottom of the bucket. It was hard since I was chained together. At the bottom was a small scrub brush. Thank gods, now I can scrub all of this dirt from myself. I started quickly on my legs, removing the dirt and turning the water a nice brown color. Getting the grime off my feet was particularly hard. I had not worn a pair of shoes in a long time. Next I attempted to scrub the dirt from my arms. This did not go as well as I wish it would have, but it would have to do. I was itching (literately) to clean my hair. I removed myself from the bucket and stood back up on the dirt. Lowering my head, I stuck it directly into the bucket. With my fingers I rubbed close to my scalp, ridding me of the bugs that have resided too long. I pulled my head up, my hair flipping back onto my shoulders. Taking the brush, I combed it all back. A shiver traveled down my spine as I was messing with my hair. Dropping the brush back into the bucket I grabbed the pair of pants. I pulled them on and tied them. All I could do was stare at the shirt. Because I can totally put that one on. Sighing, I awaited for the guards arrival.

Finally the steel door was pulled back and two guardsmen entered. "You grab the bucket." The older one said. "Loki, you need to put your shirt on." He reminded me, picking it up off the floor. I lifted the chains in the air. "You think I did not try?" I asked. The guard smiled back sheepishly. "Oh, right, the chains." He pulled a pair of hand irons from his belt. "We will just have to put these on your ankles, and then you can pull on the shirt." After another pair was stuck on me, they freed my hands. This would have been helpful earlier. These people are geniuses here, they really are. Taking the shirt from the floor, I pulled it over my head. The guard clamped the cuffs back down on my wrist and we waited for the other one to leave with the water. As soon as he was back, they grabbed a hold of me.

I waded though the crowded street with the two guards at my side. There was a lot of unnecessary yelling and shenanigans, but I pushed it all away from my mind. I was truly leaving Asguard and forced to be kind to the inferior race of humans. In addition, I was suppose to make a Confidant. Did The Council expect me to be overly social with people? For I am not even overly social with people in this realm, but yet they think I suddenly will once I reach Midguard. I wanted to rule them, what makes them think I should have to be so close to one of them? This was all very frustrating to me. As we were jostled though, we reached a clearing. I saw Heimdallr, the gatekeeper of the Bifrost, farther in front of us. The Bifrost is a rainbow bridge that allows us to pass though to different realms. In this case, to Midguard. He was decorated in large plates of golden armor. On his head he wore a large helmet with small horns (not nearly as great as mine).

Suddenly the guards shoved me forward and I stumbled into an empty space near Heimdallr. "Uh, hello." I muttered to him. He gave a nod as to recognized I said something. "Are you ready to leave, Loki?" He whispered, not wanting any of the others to hear our conversation. "As ready as I will ever be." I replied back. Heimdallr and I turned towards the rainbow bridge as there was a commotion farther down in the crowd. He turned back around and so did I. What I saw made me smirk. "Pardon me!" He yelled on top of a horse. "I must get though!" As soon as he spotted me, Thor leapt from his horse quickly, not bothering to bring it with him. People parted as he raced down the hill towards me. Heimdallr drew his sword, and I became alarmed. "What are-" With a swift cut, the chains between my irons were broken. I extended my arms out and smiled. Thor reached the bottom of the hill and I embraced him tightly in my arms. "Thinking of leaving without me, brother?" He asked into my ear. "I was hoping I would not have to. Perfect timing, Thor." I told him. From over his shoulder I saw two small children in the middle of the street. They seemed almost out of place, the little boy's. The two of them were holding hands innocently looking at my brother and I. My jaw lowered in horror as I realized the overly familiar faces, the long blonde and black hair, and the similar outfits. They disappeared in a black mist as someone passed though them. What dark magic could this possibly be?

Standing behind Thor and I was Frigga. I was honestly surprised to see her here. I released Thor and he stepped aside. I could tell that her eyes were red as she cautiously moved forward. I debated whether I should say anything at all. Then I remembered I would not see her face for a very long time. "Hello, mother." I said. Frigga rushed forward and wrapped her arms around my midsection. "I'm so sorry, my son." I heard her murmur to me. She pulled her head back and took a look at my face. "Take care of yourself, Loki." Her petite hands held my face as she smiled. "And maybe, just maybe, when you get back, this place will be somewhere where you belong." My lips kissed the top of her forehead. "Just maybe." I whispered. I could not help but wonder what she was thinking. Easily I penetrated her thoughts. _Gods, please take care of my sons. _So she was praying. I smiled a little and she slid her arms back to her sides. Turing to Thor, I smiled bigger. I read his thoughts too. _Do not cry. You cannot cry._ Ooh, suddenly I wish I had not. That pained me that my brother would be upset to the point of tears. This was my own entire fault anyways. I looked away and stood next to Heimdallr. "I am ready." I told him. With a nod, he stepped aside, revealing the rainbow bridge to Midguard. I could not help but to look behind me again. Thor had his arms around Frigga, the two of them giving me looks of sorrow. Quickly I turned around. I could not bear to see anymore. That was the last time I would see them though, and the image was stuck in my mind.

My foot touched the bridge and I knew I must not look back anymore. One foot in front of the other. Soon, Asguard was long behind me as I traveled back to Midguard.


	4. Chapter 4

"I smiled back and I thought how incredible that was, that they would find the time to smile. There was goodness in the world still, even if you couldn't always see it." –Jenny Valentine

Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep. I let out a loud moan as the alarm awoke me from my sleep. Slowly I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. I groaned again as I looked at the clock. 6:30. I would need to be at work in thirty minutes. Sighing, I mustered up enough strength to swing my legs over the side of the bed. I really didn't mind going to work, it was just the fact that I woke up early that made me annoyed.

My robe was strewn across the chair near my bed. Gladly I picked it up and wrapped my body up in it. I moved to the kitchen and measured out my coffee grounds. While the machine was running I pulled out bread from the plastic loaf bag. I needed a quick and easy breakfast, so I usually ate peanut butter toast. I popped the bread in the toaster and scoured the cabinets for the peanut butter jar. It couldn't be far! Finally I found it (out of place as usual).

Grabbing a knife from the drawer, I waited for the toast to be done. The coffee pot went off first actually. Placing my mug under it, I pressed the release button, and the glorious coffee filled my cup. Coffee was the only way I could wake up. And when you were working somewhere like I was, coffee was a necessity.

A quick shower would have to do for this morning. I hoped that there was enough hot water in the tank for me. It was rather chilly outside in the mornings, and so the water would sometimes take longer to heat up. I went ahead and turned it on while I undressed. I avoided the glaring view of the mirror and stepped into the sort of cold shower. The water slowly began to warm up and it relaxed my tense muscles. Yesterday had been quite rigorous work, and as a result I was stiff and sore this morning.

Yesterday I worked in the hospital. I went back to school recently and I was going to become a medical assistant. It was exciting that I was finally completing my schooling and training. Working though wore me out. I was only part time, well for now. I still kept my other job here as a hair stylist. I absolutely loved them both and I was lucky to have two well paying jobs. The water would help, but what I really needed was a break. The weekend could not come any sooner. It's pretty sad that I'm saying this on a Tuesday too, isn't it? Oh well.

With my wishful thinking still clouding my mind, I shut off the shower and stepped into the steamy room. My towel was on the countertop and I wrapped my body up in it. Now what to wear? I meandered into my tiny closest and pulled out a nice blouse and some jeans. I tossed a pair of shoes on my bed and then went back into the bathroom. The blow-dryer was already on the sinktop, so all I had to do was plug it in and go. My thick red hair took a while to dry because its well, thick. While I was doing this, the curling iron was heating up.

Turning the blow-dryer off, I unplugged it and put it away. I ran to the kitchen for another quick cup of coffee and then back into the bathroom. It didn't take me long to curl my hair and apply makeup. After looking myself over again, I decided this was as good as it was going to get. I slipped on my shoes and grabbed my purse. I lived in an apartment complex, so I had to walk down a flight or two of stairs, but that was okay. A thin layer of dew coated my car windows, but the defrost took care of that.

I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the busy street. It would take me a good fifteen minutes of crazy drivers, tons of stoplights, and hectic roadways to get to work. I actually didn't live too far from the salon, which was nice. But still, the traffic was terrible here in Texas. Still, I liked living near the city and I liked where I worked. Just an average little life of a completely ordinary woman.

After about twenty minutes, I pulled into the parking lot behind the salon. I had to be quick, I couldn't afford to be five minutes late like I was. I shoved my sunglasses back in their case and leapt out of the car. I rushed though the back door and into the back of the salon. "I hope I'm not too late!" I said as I scurried to find my apron. "Relax, Chrissy! Your first appointment isn't even here yet." Helen said from the main room. "Oh, what a relief!" I replied, walking out with my apron and some supplies. I dropped them off on the small counter of my station. "How was Monday?" I asked, since I was working in the hospital. "Oh, just great." She groaned. Helen was sweeping the strands of hair up off the floor, probably for a while now, since the hair gets everywhere.

"Well, don't have too much fun without me!" I joked, checking to see if my curling iron and hair-dryer was plugged in. "That won't be happening anytime soon." She muttered, tossing the hair into the trashcan. Leaning back behind my table, I plugged in the flat iron. "Hey, work isn't that bad! At least we get to do what we love everyday!" Helen laughed and lent up against her chair. "You're always so positive Christina! Sometimes I want to knock it out of you!" I actually got that a lot. I was always happy, or always positive, and for some reason, that bothered people. So what if I had a good outlook on life? I couldn't help it! I wasn't a Debby downer here. "Oh, you be quiet!" I told her, dusting off my chair. "I think today is going to be a great day, no matter what you tell me!" Helen dropped it and went back to the front desk.

Angie showed up a few minutes after I did and began to organize her stuff. I walked up to the front of the salon and unlocked the door. "Ready for business!" I told the other girls. Soon after I said it, people began to file in and the phone rang. Helen answered it and Angie took her customer back into the salon area. None of them were for me yet, so I spent some time working on organizing hair products. "Hey, Chrissy, do you think you could go in the back and get me some more dye?" Angie asked. Her hands were definitely tied up. "Yeah, sure, what number?" I asked. "It's Blonde 24 by L'Oreal." I nodded and walked into the back room.

There was a large shelf (which yours truly organized) of our hair dyes. Grabbing the tube, I walked back to Angie's station. "Here you are, Blonde 24!" She smiled and sat it down on her hair cart. "I opened the bottle of red and some of the dye got on my gloves already. Thank you!" I smiled back at her. "No problem!" I scanned the waiting room for my customer. I didn't see her there, so I decided to read the paper while I wait. People run behind, it's understandable.

The bell to the door rang and my sixth customer walked though. "Hey!" I greeted her, getting up out of the chair. "Come on back!" With a smile she did so, and took a seat in my chair. Grabbing one of the black capes, I placed it over her and fastened it around her neck. "So, what are we doing for you today?" I asked her. "I actually have a picture." She said. "Great! I love it when people bring in pictures for me to look at!" She smiled and pulled a magazine clipping out of her purse. "Oh, that would look so good on you, hun!" I exclaimed. "Short hair will work for you because of your rounder face. Oh, this is going to look so good!" She smiled even more and I took the clipping from her. With a hair clip, I stuck in up on my mirror, which was right in front of the customer.

We engaged in some friendly chitchat as I cut off her beautiful brown locks into a cute pixie cut. I would have a lot to sweep up afterwards, but I didn't mind. I liked to make people feel great about themselves, whether it be some bangs or a total new dye job. It wasn't just about styling it and cutting it, it was about making the customer feel good about themselves. We all need a little bit of that in today's society, don't you agree? I sure think so.

Her cut would take a while, and the waiting room was getting fuller and fuller. Courtney showed up a few minutes ago, so some of these may be her customers. Courtney worked the nail part of our salon. She did amazing work! "Hey Court!" I said as she took a seat behind her table. "How are you this morning?" She looked up from her desk and smiled. "I'm pretty good! Sorry I showed up a bit later. I called Helen and told her. I was pretty sick last night." Oh, that wasn't fun. I went back to cutting a few more uneven pieces of hair on the girl in my chair. "Does everything look okay?" I asked, setting my scissors down. "It looks wonderful!" She said. "Thank you so much!" And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I live for.

I scheduled her next appointment at the front desk and she paid me for her haircut. "Chrissy, when are you going to take lunch?" Angie asked me while I was in front of the calendar. "I take it around 12, so like five minutes." I told her. "Oh okay. What time did I write down?" She asked. "Uh, 12:30." Angie nodded. "Thanks!" I picked up my purse from behind my station and took off my apron. "I'm going to go ahead and take it. I'll come back five minutes early." I told the girls. "Have a good one!" Helen said. "Okay, I will!" I replied.

"Well, we are sort of full." I heard Angie say as I turned off my curling iron and hot iron. "Oh, okay." The woman replied. "Thanks anyways." Her voice sounded strained. "Oh, I'll do it!" I said, setting my purse back behind my station. "I can take a later lunch!" Angie turned around to face me. "Are you sure, Chrissy?" She asked. "Of course! Come on back!" I told the woman. She smiled slightly and nodded. While she walked back I turned everything on again. "How are you?" I asked her as she sat down in the chair. "Uh, great." She said. The woman was slouched over with her legs spread apart. I didn't say anything as I grabbed the cover to put around her. Suddenly her eyes became wide and she looked around. Timidly she crossed her legs and sat up stick straight. I shrugged at her odd behavior and tossed the cape around her, buttoning it around her neck. She gave me an uneasy look in the mirror.

"Are you from around here?" I asked, rather intrigued about her odd actions. "No." She said quickly. "I…I'm from…" It was like she totally forgot where she was from! "You sound British." I told her. Maybe she was just weary of me or something. I sure hoped not! "Yes, I am from England." She replied. "Americans are not too fond of us." I laughed at her hilarious assumption. "That's not true!" I said. "I've always wanted to go to England!" She finally smiled. "Oh, well it is very beautiful. I do like this place of Texas." People there must talk funny. "Yeah, Texas is very nice. How are you liking your stay in Dallas?" I asked her. "Oh, 'tis been very nice." She said. I smiled again at her funny words. "Okay, so how much are we cutting off?" I asked. She looked at herself in the mirror. "Just to the shoulders, if you can."

"Of course!" Her hair was very long, and it reached to the end of her back. "You know, you should think about donating this hair!" I told her as I grabbed my spray bottle. In the mirror I could see her eyes light up. "Donate it? Is that a good thing?" I tried not to laugh at her silly question. "Yeah! Locks of Love will make your hair into a wig for cancer patients to wear. It's a very good thing!" The lady about jumped out of her chair. "Yes!" She exclaimed. "I mean, yes. I would love to do that." She said calmer than before. I guess everyone has their quirks, so I tried not to judge. "Okay! Let me get a pony tail holder and a bag!" How nice of her though to do that! I walked into the back room and pulled out a plastic bag. Walking back out, I grabbed a pony tail holder from my work station. "You can find the address online. You just send it in and that's it! It's pretty easy!" I tied her long black hair into a pony tail that reached to her shoulders. "Is this length alright?" I asked her. "Yes, that is perfect." She replied.

With a snip of my scissors, the pony tail fell into my hands. I stuck it into the plastic bag and set it on the counter of my work station. "Now I'll just make it all the same length." I told her. She nodded but did not say anything else. As I trimmed it up, people came and went. I lost track of the time as I fixed up her hair. Maybe I would just have Angie pick me up something. "Does everything look alright?" I asked her as I set my scissors down. "Yes, it looks good." She replied. "Here's your hair, and I'll check you out at the front desk." I unbuttoned the cape around her neck and hung it back up. The lady got up and walked to the register. She pulled out her wallet and paid for her hair cut. "Enjoy your stay here!" I told her as she walked out the door, but she did not reply. "That was odd." Angie muttered from behind me. "Oh, come on! She's not from here, give her a break!" I defended her. I went back to work, but couldn't help think of her the rest of the day.


End file.
